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Construction on Roundabout & Bridge Commences

A top coat of pavement was added to Main Street in Johnson last week. That section of Route 15 is scheduled for paving in 2014, but the state agreed to a one inch cover coat to smooth out the street after the completion of the Main Street project. Smith photo

by Andrew Martin

CAMBRIDGE - The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) has begun work on two projects in Cambridge. On Monday, September 17, early construction work began on Route 108 as a part of the project that will replace the bridge that currently spans the Lamoille River. At the same time work began on the preliminary steps of building a roundabout at the nearby site where Routes 15 and 108 intersect.

The early work that began last week at both the bridge and roundabout site involved the placing of construction signs as well as beginning the process of placing fill for the temporary detour and bridge that will be placed next to the current bridge on Route 108. The placement of the fill for the detour will allow the general contractor for the bridge and roundabout project, the Montgomery-based St Onge Inc., to reach the river and begin the study of how exactly to build the temporary bridge. Subcontractor and Jeffersonville-based G.W. Tatro has also begun installing erosion control measures at the roundabout site. Tatro, which recently built the roundabout in Hyde Park on Route 15, will be performing the majority of the work on the roundabout portion of the project.

According to Resident Engineer Greg Wilcox more work is planned for both sites of the project this fall. Along with placing the fill for the detour, St Onge plans to design and install the temporary bridge. Once that process has been completed, traffic will be switched over to using the temporary bridge until the completion of the project in the summer of 2013. There is also hope that preliminary work on the substructures of the new permanent bridge could begin later this fall. G.W. Tatro will be looking to continue with the placement of erosion control measures at the roundabout site while also working to install the necessary drainage systems.

Work is scheduled to continue at both construction sites until December of this year. While only minor traffic interruption and delays should occur at the roundabout site there may be times when traffic is reduced to one lane. According to Wilcox, he is working to have the speed limit on Route 15 in the area of the roundabout reduced from 40 to 30 mph. The bridge site will see more delays for motorists until the temporary bridge has been installed.

Work on both the roundabout and bridge is scheduled to begin again in early April of next year, although the actual start date will be contingent on the weather. Once construction does recommence, motorists should expect more delays at the site of the roundabout, which will be built in phases in order to allow at least one lane of traffic to be moving as often as possible. Traffic on 108 at the bridge site should continue to see minimal delays next year due to the temporary bridge and detour route.

According to Wilcox the new roundabout should be open and operational by August of 2013, while the new bridge should be finished several months later in November. However peripheral work at both locations, such as the removal of the temporary bridge, could continue into the 2014 construction season.

“Until then we ask that people slow down and be cautious when approaching either site,” stated Wilcox.